October 23, 2014

The lower house of French parliament, the National Assembly,
passed on Tuesday an energy transition bill that aimed at reducing nuclear use
and promoting renewable use.

Submitted by Segolene Royal, Energy Minister and ex-partner
of French President Francois Hollande, the text was approved by 314 lawmakers
against 219 unfavorable votes.

The law paves the way for the government to deliver its
promise to cut the share of nuclear energy in France's electricity production
to 50 percent by 2025 from 75 percent currently and trim power consumption by
50 percent by 2050.

In addition, the bill simplified measures to promote the use
of renewable energy to reduce fossil fuel consumption by 30 percent and
emissions of greenhouse gases by 40 percent by 2030.

The law also bans non-recyclable plastic bags available in
shops from 2016 and plastic kitchenware from 2020. Offenders risk a fine of
30,000 euros (37,920 U.S. dollars) and two years in jail.

"It's a new model of development ... that will enable
our country to take full advantage of its assets to become a leading
eco-friendly power," Royal said after winning lawmakers' support.

However, Christian Jacob, head of conservative UMP party at
the National Assembly saw the other face of the coin and considered the text a
guarantee offered to the Greens and the left wing to regain support.
"(The) law does not take into account the energy reality," he added.